Thimble attachment



L. 0. OIJERHOLM.

THIMBLE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 1 1, 191a.

Patented May 31, 1921,.

Invenfor raras NET FATE-it l? THIMBLE ATTACHMENT.

Application filed September 11, 1918;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUDwIe OscAR OIJER- HoLM, a subject of the Kingof Sweden, residing at Eskilstuna, in the Kingdom of Sweden, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thimble Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention refers to an improvement' in finger shields, thlmbl es and the like which are provided with a pinchmg attachment serving to grasp the needle when sewing in goods offering a great resistance to the passage of the needle into and through the material, and thus to facilitate the pulling of the needle through the goods. Th1mbles of this type as heretofore used are encumbered with the disadvantage, however, that the pinching attachment is constructed in such manner that it is only possible to retain the needle by pressing one finger against the pinching attachment whereby the grasping of the needle becomes dependent on the pressure thus exerted on the attachment being sufficiently great. This is, of course, a very great inconvenience as the pinching attachment will release its hold on the needle, if the seamster does not press sufficiently hard.

The purpose of the improvement forming the subject of the present invention is to avoid the said inconvenience. The improvement is broadly characterized by this that the pinching attachment is provided with one or several spring-actuated grasping members which are caused by the spring action to bear against the needle introduced in the pinching attachment and to automatically grasp the needle, without pressure having to be exerted from the outslde on the pinching attachment. The grasplng members may suitably consist or" balls, rollers or the like arranged in apertures 1n the wall of a sleeve movable in a casing secured to the finger-shield or to the thimble and actuated by a spring tending to move the sleeve relatively to the casing thus pressing the balls or the rollers against a surrounding conical portion of the casing and against the needle introduced between the balls or rollers.

In the accompanying drawing two different embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example, Figure 1 illustrates a thimble provided with a pinching attachment shown in section. Fig. 2 shows a similar View of a thimble with a somewhat difierent construction of the pinching at- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1921.

Serial No. 253,502.

tachment. Figs. 3 and at illustrate the manner of handling the device when using the same.

The pinching attachment secured to the thimble 1 consists of a cylindrical casing a number of apertures in which balls 7 are introduced. These balls are pressed outward by the spring-actuated sleeve 5 and are simultaneously moved inward toward one another by the conical wall 3 so as to bear against one another thus preventing the further outward movement of the sleeve 5.

The device is used in the following man-. ner: TV hen the needle is to be pulled through the material being operated upon the sleeve 5 is threaded on the point of the needle projecting through the material, when the needle 8 passes into the sleeve 5 moving the balls 7 radially outward while overcoming the resistance of the spring 6, the balls 7 rolling upward on the conical wall 3. Through the intermediary or the sleeve 5 the spring 6 presses the balls 7 against the wall 3 and against the needle 8 with the result that when the needle is pulled outward the balls will firmly grasp the needle. The pressure exerted by the balls on the needle is increased in the same proportion as the pull on the needle is increased, consequently the greater the pull the better will the needle be grasped without any pressure having to be exerted from the outside on the pinching attachment. lVhen the needle is to be loosened from the attachment the sleeve 5 is pushed slightly inward when the balls will cease to exert pressure on the needle which will thus be released.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the manipulation of the device when sewing. Fig. l shows the manner of holding the device when the needle is grasped and is pulled through the material. Fig. 3 illustrates the manner of releasing the needle. By means of the thumb the sleeve 5 is pushed slightly inward when the needle becomes released.

r Fig. 2 shows a slightly'dilferent embodiment of the pinching attachment. The comcal portion 3 of the casing according to Fig. l is replaced by a separate'ring 13 located. within the casing 12, saidring 13 being provided with an interior conical surface. By this arrangement the advantage is attained that the said ring 13 may be manufactured with greater care and of better material than otherwise. It may forinstance be made of hardened steel thus materially increasing the efiiciency of the device. In this embodiment a single ball 17 only may be used in the sleeve 15 for retaining the needle 18.

It will be obvious that the details of the construction of the pinching attachment above described may be varied in various respects without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim: 7 1. The combination with a-thimble of a pinching attachment for grasping a needle 2. The combination with a thimble of a pinching attachment comprising a casing having a conical portion, .a sleeve movable movement of said sleeve against the comcal portion of said casing and against a needle introduced into said sleeve.

3. The combination with a thimble of a needle grasping attachment comprising a casing, a sleeve mounted within said casing and having an aperture therein and an opening therethrough adapted to receive a needle, a ball in said aperture, and mleans for forcing said ball into contact with said needle to prevent the withdrawal thereof from said sleeve. 1

4:. The combination with a thimble, of a needle grasping attachment having a needle chamber, and means therein yieldingly engaging a needle in a direction to permit insertion thereof into said chamber but to prevent withdrawal thereof.

LUDWIG OSCAR @IJERHOLM. 

